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Show 78 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAET AFFAIRS. Mr. Benjamin Schultz, of Punts R o R ~F,la ., has been appointed by the Department to the sameposition, but it is not believed that any-thing of value can be accomplished Eor these people without the legis- . lation authorizing negotiations for the purchase of lands. which was requested in office report of March 30. %'HE PROPOSED REMOVAL OF THE LEMHI INDIANS TO TEE FORT HALL RESERVATION, IDAHO. Under date of March 22, 1889, thisoffice submitted to the Depart-ment the recommendation that a United States Indian inspector be sent to the Lemhi Agency, in Idaho, to negotiate with those Indians for the surrender of their reservation, and their consequent removal to theFort Hall Reservation,as provided in the act of Oongress approved February 23,1889 (25 Stat., 637). Inspector h'. C. Armstrong was sent to conduct the necessary negotiations, and in his report thereon, dated May 2,1889, he states that after a areful presentation of the matter rto the Indian council, not a single vote mas cast in favor of the proposed removal. It is to be regretted that these Indians would not consent to the con-templated action, as it would, in the opinion of this office, be greatly to their interest to leave the small and barren reservation at Lemhi and remove to the Fort Hall Reservation, where they could secure good 'homes and avail themselves of the benefits of theeducational and other advantages provided for the Indians at that point. As the act for the removal of these Indians takes effect only when approved by the President, after satisfaatory evidence shall have been presented to him that the agreement therein set forth has been accepted by a majority of the adult male Indians upon the Lemhi Reservation, I am of the opinion that further negotiations should be had in the mat-ter, and that the question ~hould again be fully explained to them, in order that their consent may, if possible, be obtained. A UNITED STATES COURT IN INDIAN TERRITORY. A Iong-felt want in the Indian Territory was provided for rhen by an act of Congress, Mamh 1,1889 (25 Stat., 783), a United &ate8 dis-trict court was established at Muskogee, with an exclusive original criminaljurisdiction over all offenses against the laws of the United States committed within the Indian Territory (as defined-by the act) not punishable by death or by imprisonment at hard labor, an&with m civil jurisdiction over all causes of action arising between citizens of the United States, or of any State or Territory, where theamount in coutro-versy is $100 or more. It is confidently hoped that this wurt will be the means of disposing of many complicated and embarrassing questions that have been the source of much trouble and annoyance to this office and to the Depart-ment. |